Shade-fixture



' w. McC. MALE.-

SHADE FIXTURE. APPHCATION 'meo AUG. 14. 1919.

Patented July 27, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCCORMICK NEALE, F GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

SHADE-FIXTU E.

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greensboro,..in the county of Guili'ord and Stateof North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shade-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in shade fixtures, and has for itsobject to provide a simple, efiicient, inexpensive device of the character specified for permitting a shade to be raised or lowered when desired, without the necessity of springs, and without the necessity of handling the shade itself.

In the, drawings:

Figure 1 is an end view of a shade having the fixture;

Fig. 2 is a front view of one end of the shade;

Fig. 3 is a side view, with parts in section,'showing a modified form ofsupporting bracket p Fig. 4 is an endview;

Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar-to Figs. 3 and 4, showing another embodiment;

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs.

3 and 1, showing another embodiment.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the-invention is shown in connection with a shade 1 of ordinary construction, having at-one end the stiffening bar 2 held in a loop 3 in the shade, and con nected at the other end to a roller 4. At one end this roller hasthe usual trunnion supported by the usual bracket. At the other the-roller has a trunnion, upon which is mounted a reel 5, the reel being secured to thetrunnion in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by flattening thetrunnion and the hub opening of the reel. Upon this reel winds a cord 6, the said cord being rigidly secured at one end to the reel and the cord is so arranged upon the reel that when it is pulled downwardly the roller will be turned in a direction to wind up the shade.

A bracket 7 is secured to the window casement adjacent to the end of the roller, and

this bracket has an outwardly extending arm, provided with a downwardly inclined portion 8. The bracket arm has an are shaped slot 9 which receives the trunnion.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 14, 1919. Serial No. 317,528.

bracket, indicated at 12, eccentric to the trunnion 10. I This arm has a stirrup 13 at its free end through which the cord 6 is passedyand a roller 14: is journaled in the stirrup to prevent disengagement of the cord. When the parts are in normal position the roller occupies the'dotted line position of Fig. 1, and in such position the axis of the roller will be horizontal. ,The weightlof the roller and reel will cause the trunnion 10 to swing to the lower end 01": the slot 9, carrying the arm 11 into the dotted line position of Fig. 1.

When the roller is in such position the outermost flange of the reel will drop into a stirrup 15 at the end of the inclined portion 8 of the bracket 7, and the turning movement of the reel and roller will be braked by the engagement with opposite sides of the stirrup, as shown in Fig. 2- When the cord is drawn downward the parts swing into the full line position of Fig. 1, the arm 11 swinging forwardly and upwardly and carrying with it the reel and adjacent end of the shade roller, moving to the upper end of the slot 9. This upward movement ofthe reel disengages the flange from the.

through the fingers, the weight of the shade being sufiicient to cause theroller to turn in a direction to unwind the shade and to wind up the cord. Whenthe shade is properly adjusted, the cord is released and the weight of the shade and roller will move the reel to cause it to engage with the brake shoe 15.

There is no necessity for touching the shade either in raising or lowering, it only being necessary to engage] the cord. A steady continuous pull on the cord will raise the shade and a slight continuous release of the cord will lower the shade. -A quick and total release of the cord locks the shade in adjusted position. When the cord is quickly released, the shade, especially if heavy, does not cometo a sudden stop, which would probably injure the fabric or fixtures, but it is slowed down progressively to a stop with about one-half inch of movement. The action is due to the trio- I tional brake; When in the lower position about onehalf of the weightof the shade and roller is forcing the flange of the reel 7 of Fig; 1.

into the brake shoe and any amountof pull ing on the shade only serves to lock it tighter. There is no wear on the'shade and the only wear in the entire device ison the pintles or trunnion.

In Fig. 1 the natural friction between the arms of the stirrup and the reel flange is relied upon to. do the necessary braking. In Fig. 3 a plug 16 of cork or the like is .inserted in the end of the bracket .17 ,it

being held in place by a pin 18 which is I releasable to permit the plug to be changed.

This bracket 17 corresponds to thebracket In Fig. 5 the bracket 19 corresponding to the bracket 7 of Fig. 1 has aninclined groove 20in which is mounted a b21121. The flange of the reel engages between the ball and the oppositefface' of the stirrup, and it will be obvious that when the ball 7 is moved into'the shallow part of the groove,

thebottom or" "the groove being inclined, the said flange will be tightly gripped between the wall and ball.

In Figs. 7 and 8 thedvracketQQ corre sponding to the bracket 7 of Fig. '1 may have a ball of rubber, cork orthe' like held in coiiperating recesses 23 in" the arms'oi the stirrup, the edge of the flange engaging the ball.-

lcla'imz 7 p 1. A shade fixture having rollers comprising a reel secured to one end of the roller, a bracket on which the'said'endofthe roller is supported, a lever pivoted to the bracket and having an opening for receiving the trunnion" of the roller, the

bracket having an are shaped slot in which the trunnion is movable for permitting the roller to swing downward with respect to the bracket and to be moved upward by the swinging of the lever, the bracket having a brake shoe for engagement by the reel when it swings downward to prevent rotation of the roller'and reel, and a cord winding at one end of the reel and slidably connected with the lever to swing said lever and the trunnion upwardly to release the reel from the brake shoe. I

2. In combination with a shade roller having at one end a reel anda trunnion at the axis of the reel, a fixed bracket for the trunnion, a lever pivoted to the bracket,

casing andhaving a bearingfor the reel,

said lever being mounted to swing to move the reel and roller upwardly and downwardly, a brake shoe for engagementby the reel when it is in lowermost position to prevent rotation thereof, and a cord winding on the reel and .slidably engaging the lever to permit the lever to be swung upwardly by the cord, said lever swinging downwardly under the weight of the reel and roller to cause the reel to engage the brake shoe. v 1 1 4. A shade roller having a reel and'a cord windingonthe 'reeliat one end, a;

lever adapted to be pivoted adjacent w the reel to a fixed support] and supportingthat end of the roller for'rotation, the cord being connectedwith the lever to swing the roller upward, the weight ofthe roller swinging the lever downward, and a brake held imposition-to be engaged'by I the roller when it swings downward.

5. A shade roller having a cord winding thereon, a lever adapted to be pivoted adjacent to the reel to a fixed support and supporting that end of the roller for rotaf'tion, the cord being connected with the of contact with the r lever to swing the roller-upward, the weight of the-roller swinging the lever downward,

and a brake controlled by the downward swin ing of the roller.

WILLIA MoCOR-MIGK NEALE. 

